Lobby

Since 1990, EAPN has been an independent network of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and groups involved in the fight against poverty and social exclusion in the Member States of the European Union.

We are an ecclesiastic organization of various parishes and groups.

Tasks and Goals:

• to raise the awareness of church communities and groups concerning developmental issues
• to support small scale projects in Tanzania aimed at sustainable development
• to establish and monitor development aid partnerships
• to carry out lobbying campaigns (e.g. concerning debt relief)
• to assist in the placement of qualified personnel
• to cooperate with relief organizations as well as with ecclesiastical and non-ecclesiastical NGOs

Areas of Activities:

• we maintain a partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Pare Diocese
• we monitor and carry out projects in cooperation with our partner organizations (providing water tanks, drilling for water, building corn mills, setting up solar – powered lamps, carrying out fishing projects, funding tuition costs, equipping kindergartens and infirmaries, building sanitary facilities for schools, providing bicycles for employees, musical instruments, etc.)
• we organize group visits to Tanzania
• we arrange visits of Tanzanian groups to Germany
• we place interns in Tanzania
• we carry out information events with speakers from Tanzania
• we organize educational events on development policy issues

The working group organises conferences and lectures on development policy issues, in particular on ethics in development cooperation.

VENRO represents more than 100 German development NGOs. The association intensifies the dialogue and exchange of experiences between its members and represents their common interests and positions vis-à-vis the public, the government, the European Commission and other international organisations.